Category: About Me

I wear primer underneath my makeup to smooth my skin and help my foundation last longer. A variety of primers exist to create a matte, dewy or luminous base for makeup. I switch between three primers to achieve a matte canvas:

1. Tatcha The Silk Canvas Primer

I love primers that minimize oil and control any shine in my skin. This primer doesn’t feel greasy, oily or reminiscent of silicone. I usually apply this primer during warmer summer months to control oil and smooth my skin.

2. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

Smashbox’s iconic primer is lightweight and absorbs quickly. This clear primer is gel-based and it smooths, softens, and primes my skin. I wear this primer when I apply my makeup for a full day of wear.

3. Too Faced Replenishing Primer

Too Faced Replenishing Primer is a unique spray formula. After trying this primer a few times, it became one of my favourite ones. The refreshing mist adds hydration to the skin, which helps my makeup last longer once applied.

Urban Decay recently released a new palette, called Born to Run. Once I saw the shade range, I knew it would be a versatile palette for day-to-night wear! I’ve created various looks with this palette, but here are three that I recently created:

Look #1

I began this look by priming my eyelids with Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I blended the shade Weekender, a light beige matte, into my crease. I blended Baja, a matte burnt orange, into Weekender, I added the shade Still Shot, a bright peach, on top of Weekender + Baja and blended. Next, I applied Hell Ride, a deep fuchsia, into the crease. I used a smaller blending brush to apply Good as Gone (a deep brown with shimmer) to the inner corner of my lid. I fused Jet, a satin black, into the brown shade. I also applied this shade to my inner corner. To complete the look, I pressed Double Life, a copper-bronze shimmer, into the centre of my eyelid.

Look #2

I primed my eyelids with concealer before sweeping Breakaway, a warm ivory shimmer, across my entire lid. Next, I applied Riff, a brown matte, to the outer corner of my lid. I blended that shade up into my crease with a fluffy blending brush. I applied Baja, a matte burnt orange, to the outer corner of my lid and blended. I gently pressed Breakaway into the centre of my lid, before applying Big Sky, a frosted teal, to the outer corner.

Look #3

After priming my eyelids, I swept the shade Blaze into my crease. Blaze is a light metallic pink with a peachy undertone. I pressed Drift, a charcoal satin with micro-shimmer, into my outer corner using a flat shadow brush. I completed this look by applying the shade Wanderlust (a forest green) on my eyelid.

How you start each day is a predictor of how the rest of it will unfold. I implement specific activities into my morning to ensure that I maximize my productivity. Here are three activities that I suggest doing to maximize your productivity in the morning:

1. Write a to-do list

I often create a to-do list when I start my work day, or my weekend. Writing out a list of the items you must accomplish each day is a great method to stay organized. I like to keep this list on my desk, or another highly visible place.

2. Drink coffee

My family usually jokes that I take my coffee through an IV. I always start my morning with a cup of coffee, and it has become an anticipated part of my morning. Both the caffeine, and the routine, help ensure I’m completely ready for the day ahead.

3. Organize my workspace

Whether I’m blogging or working, I take a few minutes to organize my desk. Organizing my workspace each day helps clear my mind before I start my work. This trick is very helpful when I spend an evening blogging.

While this post is a Sephora Haul, it will mainly focus on skincare products because I needed to replenish them all at the same time! Today I’ll the new products I’ve incorporated into my routine, plus extras I bought while in store.

GlamGlow Waterburst Hydrated Moisturizer

Before I discuss this product, I must tell you all that it smells like blue raspberry candy! I needed a new moisturizer that was lightweight and didn’t feel sticky on the skin. GlamGlow’s Waterburst Moisturizer has a unique, lightweight formula. After a few uses this moisturizer became part of my daily skincare routine.

Huda Beauty Warm Brown Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette

This is a perfect travel-friendly eyeshadow palette for the summer months. I decided to add Huda Beauty’s Warm Brown Obsessions Palette to my collection after testing the warm coral, mahogany and brown shades. The small palette contains 9 shadows that are a combination of matte and shimmer finishes.

Tatcha The Deep Cleanse

I love Tatcha’s The Deep Cleanse already! I have difficulty finding skincare products to soothe my dry, acne-prone skin. This cleanser contains natural fruit extracts to remove impurities while gently exfoliating. The formula of this product is unique – it’s a gel cleanser that contains an exfoliant that doesn’t feel scratchy on my skin. I’ve combined it with GlamGlow’s Waterburst Moisturizer and my skin feels smooth, clear and silky!

Body positivity is a wonderful thing, and becoming body positive is a journey that is achieved differently by every single person. I was recently inspired by ‘body positive’ posts on my Instagram feed to write a post about five little secrets to body positivity that may not be apparent, but are important to achieve a body-positive mindset.

1. Becoming body-positive does not happen overnight

Becoming body-positive is not always a quick, or easy, process. Learning to love the skin you’re in takes baby steps and you’ll repeat the process every day. You’ll have days where you’ll love your body; and other days you’ll revert to less-than-positive comments about your body. I’d like to think of myself as body positive, yet there are still days when my skin breaks out, or I’m bloated, and I think ‘Here we go again’. Body positivity is a continuum that changes daily, and that is okay.

2. It starts with changing your mindset

Often, the struggles you have with your body stems from your mind. Finding body positivity will help you connect with yourself and your true emotions. A positive mindset will lead to positive thoughts!

3. Ditching the scale is a powerful motivator

I haven’t looked at my scale in over a month. It is a lot easier to stay attuned to your body and how you feel when you aren’t hyperaware of the number glowing on your scale. This small change is a powerful motivator to focus on how your body and skin feels, as opposed to how much you know it weighs.

4. Remember that beauty is not ‘one-size-fits-all’

Bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Beauty is achieved differently by everyone, and your beauty (and body!) is unique to you. Instead of degrading yourself for not looking like an Instagram model, focus on what makes you beautiful and gain inspiration from those around you. Beauty, and bodies, are unique to everyone!

I love experimenting with bright, smoky, or glittery eyeshadow combinations. I kept my eyeshadow bright but subtle for this look using Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Palette. I started by blending the shades ‘Rustic’ and ‘Dusty Rose’ into my crease. I pressed ‘Sienna’ along my entire lid before adding a touch of glitter with the shade ‘Glistening’. I applied this shade to the inner half of my eyelid. I finished my eye makeup with Kat Von D’s Tattoo Liner and Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara to add volume to my lashes.

As I approach my three-year blogging anniversary, I decided to reflect and write a post about the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

1. It’s okay to take time to reset

I’ve blogged consistently for the past year and a half. In that timeframe, I’ve taken a few breaks. One important lesson I learned from these breaks: It’s okay to step away from your blog, as needed! Instead of feeling down about not posting as usual, a break provided me time to reset and develop new ideas, content, and inspiration.

2. Developing a blogging schedule is a good motivator

Determining a schedule for my blog post topics has been a great way to stay motivated. I know exactly what to write on each day, and it has kept my ideas flowing.

3. Don’t compare yourself to other bloggers

Everyone has their own path to success. It is easy to get sucked into the competition surrounding blogging, but it’s important to remember that there is no formula to achieve success. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved so far in my blogging journey, and recognize that everyone achieves different levels of success. (Reaching 1, 000 subscribers has been my biggest accomplishment to date!)

This is a different post from what I normally write, but I’m always inspired by ‘What I Eat in a Day’ videos and blog posts. I’ve recently started to incorporate more water, healthier meals, and less refined foods into my diet. Here is what a typical day looks like on my plate:

Breakfast

I start each day with two essentials: a cup of coffee and a glass of water. I like to drink a tall glass of water after waking up to hydrate. I then brew a coffee with my Keurig. Currently, my flavour of choice is Starbucks Caramel-Flavoured Coffee. My breakfast usually consists of a homemade breakfast sandwich – made with an English muffin, egg whites, turkey bacon and mozzarella cheese.

Lunch

My lunch varies from day-to-day. Sometimes I’ll favour a salad, or other days I’ll make my favourite pasta dish. One meal that I’ve eaten often in the past two weeks is naan bread packed with veggies. After toasting a naan bread, I add a heap of lettuce, red pepper, cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette. The veggies keep me full and satisfied for the afternoon so I don’t snack throughout the day.

Dinner

I have an eternal love for pasta. Fettuccine alfredo is one of my favourite comfort foods, and I recently began making it with fresh pasta. (Fresh pasta tastes much better!) On the day I photographed these meals, I knew pasta would be my final dish of the day. I crafted this one with alfredo, fresh pasta, and a lot of mozzarella cheese (you’ll see a trend in each of these meals…)

What does your daily plate look like? If there are specific recipes or foods you eat on a typical day, let me know in the comments below!

Glowing skin and a clear complexion are two of my skin care goals. I like to add face masks into my weekly skin care routine to clarify, detoxify, and moisturize my skin. As a self-proclaimed beauty lover, I’ve tried a variety of masks. Today I share the masks that made it to the top of my ‘must-have’ list.

1. GlamGlow THIRSTYMUD Hydrating Mask

This was the first hydrating face mask I’ve ever tried. This product is from GlamGlow, and I’ve used various masks from their collection. I immediately loved how it added extra moisture to my skin without weighing it down. The THIRSTYMUD Hydrating Treatment leaves my skin hydrated. glowy and smooth. I typically use this mask 1-2 times a week to supplement with my regular moisturizer.

2. Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mask

I adore Tatcha’s Water Cream Moisturizer and was excited to learn that the brand also has a range of face masks. The Dewy Skin Mask is actually a lightweight sheet mask. Because it does not require rinsing, it is a great skincare option for busy mornings. This mask has the consistency of a serum – perfect for dry skin.

3. GlamGlow YOUTHMUD Tinglexfoliate Treatment

GlamGlow’s YOUTHMUD mask is unique. You apply the mask like others from the GlamGlow collection, but it works differently. Upon contacting the skin, the mask begins to tingle! This mask is excellent for brightening. I enjoy using this mask to exfoliate and clear any blemishes.

4. Sephora Collection Face Masks

Sephora Collection offers single-use sheet masks for the face, eyes, lips, hands, and feet. I like to rotate face masks from this collection into my skincare routine for an instant refresh. Each face mask is reminiscent of a flower, and the names of the masks range from Lotus to rose. My favorite mask from the collection is the Rose mask – it moisturizes and brightens my skin while preventing blemishes.

Sephora’s spring VIB sale took place from April 20-23 for members. During the sale, VIB members received 15% off all purchases, and this was a perfect opportunity for me to stock up on skincare and makeup I recently ran out of! Here’s what I picked up during the sale:

1) Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Oil – This cleansing oil has become my regular makeup remover. I had a few sample-sized bottles of the oil, but purchased a full-sized bottle after realizing just how often I use it! It is a gentle, effective cleanser to remove my makeup daily and lightly refresh my skin.

2) Too Faced Hangover 3-in-1 Primer/Setting Spray – I put a sample of Too Faced Hangover Primer in my cart after my beloved MAC Fix+ ran out. The first thing I noticed about this primer after trying it last week was the coconut scent. I like that this product acts as a primer or setting spray. I tested it as both my primer and setting spray yesterday, and it refreshed my skin while holding my makeup in place all day!

3) Bite Beauty Lip Pencil – I apply lip pencil every day. I own two shades of the lip pencil from Bite Beauty (020 + 044). The shade 020 is a beige-nude that is an excellent color to apply underneath any lipstick. I repurchased another pencil in that shade to replace the one I used up. (Plus, I love how easy it is to toss these lip pencils into my purse for touch-ups!)

4) Too Faced Melted Matte Liquified Lipstick – Bend and Snap – This Too Faced lipstick purchase was an impulse-buy. I own tubes of this formula in a deep, mahogany red and a subtle lavender. One shade I do not have in my lipstick collection is a bright magenta. The shade ‘Bend and Snap’ is that exact match. The formula is lightweight and non-drying on my lips.

5) Anastasia Beverly Hills Powder Bronzer – Finally, I bought a powder bronzer from Anastasia Beverly Hills. I did not have a bronzer in my collection after misplacing my favorite Too Faced compact. The bronzer from Anastasia Beverly Hills is finely-milled and provides matte coverage. I bought the shade Rich Amber, a gorgeous honey-toned color.

6) Living Proof Restore Conditioner – I received a sample of conditioner from the brand Living Proof. This conditioner renews softness and shine to damaged hair. I’ve tried the conditioner once, and my hair felt softer, bouncier and smooth.